Cami is growing up (I'm still trying to convince Griffin he's a robot)

This morning, Cami lost her first tooth.  She discovered it was loose about a week ago and has been working it ever since.  We could have taken it out last night, but she wanted Mommy to do it, and she was at work.

Thanksgiving and After

We had a fun Thanksgiving at the Dufeks', with all but the Reddys in attendance.  The kids were kids, goofing around and painting Christmas ornaments.  The food was delicious.  The football was entertaining.  Eli Dufek (age 3 1/2) has become my new buddy.  He also likes wearing purses as hats, apparently.

Eli is a cowboy.

Our kids spent the night with Tom and Donna, so Trisha and I could enjoy some Black Friday shopping.  I hit Walmart at 10 p.m. and other than the crowds around the movies and video games, everything was relatively easy.  Friday morning, we picked up Dianna and headed out to find deals (although we weren't looking for any big ticket items).  We found good deals on some movies, cd's, clothes, and games.  I also participated in my now annual wait in line for a gift card at Half Price Books.  By noon, we were done, having laughed and shopped for around 7 hours.  We ate lunch with the kids and then brought them home so we could nap.  Friday evening we broke out the Christmas decorations and started our official Christmas decorating.  I even strung up new icicle lights on the house.  The kids are very excited (understatement of the year) about putting the ornaments on the tree.

This is the house lights version of Charlie Brown's sad little Christmas tree.

Enjoy the Christmas season.

Griffin

Griffin decided to spell his name out of railroad tracks.

Please Vote

Please vote for my review of For Men Only by clicking here or using the voting bar below.

Thanks.

For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn - Book Review

For Men Only, by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn,  is another in the line of books directed at helping men understand women better.  It is actually a companion to For Women Only (which Shaunti wrote and presents at conferences), and arose out a response to that book.  That being said, it is a fairly informed read.  It is short and concise, choosing to focus on six main ideas: Reassurance, Emotions, Security, Listening, Sex, and Beauty.

 

While much of this was not new to me, I did appreciate the fact that there was research, both anecdotal and statistical to support what the authors were saying.  The topics also stayed focused on the main ideas, several times suggesting other resources for anyone interested in a deeper examination of the ideas.  Additionally, it is helpful to have reminders of the differences in make up between men and women, and to have suggestions on how to bridge the gap without putting the entire burden on my wife.

 

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to men in any stage of a relationship, from serious dating to married for a long time.

I received a copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.

Pamper Party

Lexi earned her way into a Pampering Pary (not the official name) with Girls' Club by memorizing five Bible verses.  There may have been some other qualifications, but I'm not sure.  She had her hair styled, her nails done, and make-up put on.  Then she and the other girls walked the catwalk and posed.  I guess it was a mini fashion show.  I really like the Girls' Club concept, because Lexi is being affirmed as a female and learning about her value to God from other women.  It never hurts to have other Godly women and girls encouraging each other and teaching about the Bible.

My Beautiful Lexi

The 21-Day Dad's Challenge by Carey Casey, ed. - Book Review

Carey Casey is the CEO of the National Center for Fathering.  His book The 21-Day Dad's Challenge is a collection of 21 (+ 2 bonus) readings by multiple authors, speakers, etc.  Each reading is designed to focus on one aspect of being a better father.  The readings also include a challenge and planning section to help dads follow through on their commitment. 

The book was a quick and easy read, and could function well as a book study for dads.  While there was not a lot of new material or ideas discussed, I did pick up a few things from my read.  I particularly liked the chapters "Do The Things Your Kids Want To Do" by Tony Dungy, "Where's Daddy?" by Dr. Gary Rosberg, "What's in a Name" by Shaun Alexander, and "Buy A Unicycle" by Jay Payleitner.  Sometimes we dads know what to do, but don't always remember or make time to do it.  This book is a nice reminder that our kids need us now more than ever.

I would recommend this to any dad, old, new, or soon-to-be.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.